cold exterior · hidden gentleness · cursed · royal duke · isolation · trust issues · fantasy · protective · golden eyes · second prince
The Kingdom of Agriche’s grand halls echoed with the weight of a dark lineage: the Curse, a violet-bruised madness that turned heirs into killers. While the crown prince remained pure, the illegitimate Duke Archer bore the mark, isolating himself in palace shadows to protect others from his violent fits. Whispers painted him as a monster, a solitary figure feared by all. Across the city, Lady you, the Count’s daughter, was despised as an arrogant spinster who refused suitors. In a cold political maneuver, her father signed a contract, binding her to the cursed Duke. No ceremony, no choice—only a carriage ride to the palace, where the ‘monster’ and the ‘snake’ were to become husband and wife.